The Choices We Make
by Fire The Canon
Summary: Oliver was in her past, but Cormac was her present and her future, and she loved him very much. CormacKatie.


_**Written for AStitchedUpHeart's The Egghead's Competition. I used the prompts (liberally) Cormac McLaggen, Katie/Oliver, Regretful, Always - Bon Jovi & "Please, let the master show you how it's done)**_

_**Written for Gamma Orionis' Favourite Genre Boot Camp (post-war) using the prompt 'yore - years ago'**_

_**WARNING: This fic contains some swearing in it.**_

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**The Choices We Make**

_Puddlemere win the Cup! by Ginny Potter_

_Last night, we all sat down to watch or listen to the final between Puddlemere United and the Holyhead Harpies, and what a thriller it was! The first two hours, there were no goals scored at all. Captain and Keeper, Oliver Wood, was remarkable in front of the posts, saving every goal that came his way. If you weren't watching, and were just listening, I am telling you, it was wonderful to see._

_The Harpies' Keeper, Ruby Benedict, was just as good, making some brilliant saves as well. I've reported a few finals now, but none of them were as intense as this one was._

_Five hours and twenty-three minutes, it lasted, until, without anyone noticing, Puddlemere's newest Seeker, Edith Wren, snatched the Snitch from the air. The cheers were deafening. Puddlemere fans are obviously not new to winning, but, I don't think we'll ever experience a game like that between two British teams again. _

_The parties afterwards got wild too, but the team were just thrilled for another win under their brooms. _

_Wood was definitely the star of the show, though, making saves you will probably never see in your lifetime again! What an excellent way to finish another season of Quidditch. I hope you all enjoyed the match, and I will hopefully see you all next year, ready for the new season._

Oliver Wood's picture, holding the Cup, stared back at Katie, making her heart give a little jolt. How many years had it been since she'd last seen him? Too many to count, she realised. Not since the Battle at Hogwarts, where he had saved her from a Death Eater's wand by just mere seconds.

Back then, they had been just friends. A year later, they had been more than that, but now… now they didn't even speak.

She sighed, placing the paper to the side and picking up her purse. Thinking about Oliver could wait; right now, she had to meet Cormac – her _husband_ – for lunch.

She had known Cormac since she was eleven. They had been Gryffindors together, but never friends. In fact, if she was being honest with herself, she hadn't been too fond of Cormac for most of her schooling life. He'd always come across as stuck-up and a little bit of a prat, but he'd changed after the war (they all had). She really did love him now.

She Apparated into a quiet alley in Muggle London, away from any prying eyes, and then started along the street, making her way to a café the two of them enjoyed. That was the place he had proposed to her, and thinking about it put a smile on her face. These last few years, she had been very happy. Cormac made her happy; they were even beginning to think about starting a family, but Katie wasn't sure on that yet. She had a good job at the Ministry, and having a baby would change that.

She wasn't sure if she was ready for that change right now.

"Hey!"

Katie stopped mid-step, turning around and smiling at her husband, who was jogging up to her in Muggle attire which he had obviously quickly changed into after leaving the Ministry. She supressed the urge to laugh at him, though, because in that moment, it was rather obvious he had no idea about Muggle fashion.

He seemed to notice her smirk, though, and appeared offended. "It was the best I had," he grumbled.

Katie snickered, but leaned forward to give him a kiss anyway. "I still love you," she told him.

Cormac smiled back at her. "Yeah, me too." He offered his hand to her, which she accepted, and together, they walked the short distance to the café. There was a waitress there who recognised them, and pointed instantly to a table in the corner.

"How was work?" Katie asked once they were seated.

Cormac sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. "Long," he groaned. "You'd think I wouldn't have to deal with those idiots who drank too much at the Quidditch after parties, wouldn't you? I've been at the fucking Ministry for five goddam years. I would like to think I'm beyond that now."

There was silence for a moment, Katie expecting him to continue, but when he didn't, she reached out and covered his hand with hers. "I'm sure they just keep sending you there because you're good at what you do," she said calmly.

Cormac grunted something unintelligible, obviously not at all convinced. "Bloody Quidditch," he mumbled.

"I thought you liked Quidditch," Katie said. "After all, you talk about it all the time." She remembered the times that Cormac had even bored _her_ to death, going on about one Quidditch thing or another.

Cormac shook his head. "Not after last night," he declared. "And I fucking hate Wood the most. He thinks he's just the bees' knees, doesn't he?"

At the mention of Oliver's name, Katie's heart gave another jolt and a short surge of anger rushed through her. Cormac didn't even know Oliver, how could he say that?

"Why's that?" she wanted to know. Had Oliver done something?

"Walking around with that cup like it was his first born child," Cormac growled. "Wouldn't let anyone else touch the thing."

"Well, he is the captain," Katie said, not sure why she was defending Oliver.

Cormac looked at her curiously, before realisation seemed to dawn on him. "Oh, that's right, you two had a _thing_ once, didn't you?"

Katie blushed, looking down at their hands which here still connected. It had been more than a _thing_, but she didn't bother telling him that. It would just put him in a worse mood than he already was. "That was a long time ago now, though," she said. "I haven't seen him in years."

Cormac shrugged. "Yeah, well, he's turned into a right prat now. You don't want to see him again."

The waitress brought over two coffees for them, giving them a wide smile as she did so. They thanked her, and then continued with their conversation.

"Anyway, so other than Oliver Wood ruining your night, how was it? I wish I could have gone."

Cormac shrugged again. "Same as usual, I guess. Controlling the idiots who drank too much Butterbeer, and the Harpies fans who thought it would be fun to crash."

At that, Katie smiled. Being a Harpies fan herself, she had been a bit disappointed by the result, but from what she had heard, they had put up a good fight, and were just unlucky in the end.

"How was your night?" Cormac then questioned.

Katie shrugged. "Angelina came over," she said. "We listened to the match on the wireless, and then she went home, and I want to sleep." She shrugged again, taking a sip from her steaming mug of coffee. "Less interesting than yours, it seems."

At that, Cormac chuckled, and for the rest of the afternoon, they sat in the café, talking about whatever came to their minds. It was these moments that Katie loved the most, and she even forgot about Oliver until they arrived back home, and Cormac picked up the _Prophet_, scowling at Oliver's picture.

"And to think he's touched you and kissed you," he said moodily. He took his wand from his back pocket, and singed a hole through the man's face. "I hope to never deal with you again."

Katie, now rather irritated and bewildered by her husband's sudden dislike for Oliver Wood, came to stand beside him, peering down at the photo that now had a hole where Oliver's face had been. "Did he cause you trouble?" she questioned.

"No, too much of a goody-two-shoes for that."

"Then, what's your problem with him?"

Cormac didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. A sudden flashback came to Katie as she remembered how much of a foul mood he had been in once when Puddlemere had beaten the Ballycastle Bats (Cormac's team) in a semi-final a few years ago. Oliver had blocked a goal just as his Seeker had caught the Snitch. If the Bats had scored that goal, they would have one.

She burst out laughing. "You're still pissed about that semi-final, aren't you?" she said.

"Don't be stupid," Cormac scowled, a little too fast for it to be anything but true.

Katie sighed, resting a hand on her husband's arm. She tried to remain as serious as she could as she said, "Darling, you need to get over that. That was two years ago now, and Oliver was just doing his job. You can't blame him for that. Anyway, you have to admit, that shot from Angelina was pretty pathetic. Even she says that."

Cormac shook her off. "I had good money on that match," he said, his eyes darkening. "The Bats had won almost every game of the season, and Puddlemere were in one of their worse forms ever."

Katie shook her head. "It's over and done with now," she told him, "It's time to move on." She took the paper from his hand, and put it down. "You better get changed," she then said. "You look ridiculous."

Cormac nodded, suddenly looking deflated. "Yeah, you're right. I'll… I'll see you soon."

"Okay!" Katie called after him, watching as he made his way to their bedroom, hopefully to get out of the ridiculous clothes that he was wearing.

OOO

A few weeks went by after the Quidditch final, and everything seemed to settle down. Cormac continued to complain about his job, cursing everyone he worked with, because they always seemed to be in favour with the Minister.

"It's Granger… no, Weasley now… she has it in for me!"

Katie raised her brow as she slipped into a blue cocktail dress she was wearing to Cormac's work function that evening. "And why is that?" she wanted to know.

"Because, you know, we were a thing once, but she never really liked me and… she hates me."

"Darling, I'm sure that's not true," Katie said. She wasn't overly close to Hermione, but she was certain she was very happy in her relationship with Ron to not worry about Cormac – a relationship that had lasted all of a few weeks.

"It is, I tell you. She has it in for me." He tugged at the collar on his dress robes a little too tightly. Katie laughed.

"Come on, let's go, or we will be late, and then everyone _will_ have something to complain about." She fixed up the collar for him, and then took his hand. "You'll be fine."

They Apparated to a safe spot near the entrance to the Ministry. There were already plenty of people there, all dressed up and chatting with others around them. Cormac and Katie weaved through the crowd to find that the entrance they had been intending to use to get inside was blocked off.

"What the –?" Cormac looked around, confused.

"Have to stay here, mate," a middle-aged wizard stated. "Planning for the special guest in there."

Cormac's brow furrowed even more. "Special guest?"

The wizard nodded. "Yeah, that Oliver Wood bloke… you know, Puddlemere's captain or whatever." He gave a shrug, making it clear he didn't care all that much who was there.

From beside Katie, Cormac groaned.

"Now's your chance to get back at him," she teased.

The crowd continued to grow, and eventually, they were all let inside, shuffling in, in an orderly fashion. The place they were having the function in was decorated with magical streamers that floated around, and small fireworks and floating lights. Katie had been to a few of these now, but she was always in awe over the way it was decorated. It was something different every year.

She held onto Cormac's arm as they walked through the room. He led her to a table that had their names on it. "Got to sit here," he explained, not looking at all pleased by that. Katie soon realised why. They were sharing a table with Harry and Ginny Potter – the second in charge in the Aurors and the famous Quidditch player, and Ron and Hermione Weasley – two war heroes.

"Well, this makes us look special, doesn't it?" Katie murmured, taking a seat. The others weren't there yet, but she was kind of excited to be seeing her old friends again, even if Cormac wasn't.

"Yeah, Harry Potter, Kingsley Shacklebolt _and_ Oliver Wood." Cormac picked up the tame tag of Oliver's. "Special, for sure."

Katie frowned. "Cormac, will you think of the positives?" she said. "You're at the table with the Minister! He must regard you quite highly if that's the case."

"Or he really hates me," Cormac retorted just as Oliver Wood approached the two of them, a huge smile on his face.

"Katie!" he exclaimed, reaching out to offer a hug to his ex-girlfriend.

Katie accepted his offer, returning the gesture. She couldn't control the little jolt of excitement that went through her at being so close to Oliver again. "It's good to see you again!" she exclaimed.

Oliver beamed. "Likewise!" He then looked to Cormac, nodding curtly. "McLaggen," he said.

Cormac scowled.

"Oliver, how've you been?" Katie said, breaking the tension that her husband had obviously created with his unreasonable dislike for Oliver Wood.

"Busy," Oliver replied, sighing.

"I bet. All the interviews, all the reporting, all the Quidditch." She nudged him teasingly.

Oliver tried to put on an appearance of modesty, but didn't succeed at all. "Yeah," he said, rubbing his neck. He glanced over to Cormac again, who was standing there, glowering at Oliver. "How have _you_ been, Katie?" he then asked.

Katie nodded, nudging her husband gently to try and snap him out of whatever it was he was in. "We've been great," she said. "We're even thinking about having a baby!"

Oliver's eyes widened at that. "Really?"

Katie smiled, nodding again. "Yeah, it's been on the cards for a while now," she told him. _It's just putting the plan into action_, she wanted to add, but she didn't think Oliver would appreciate it.

"Well… congratulations!" Oliver didn't seem very sincere, but Katie let it pass. It probably was a shock.

"Thanks," she said.

After that, Oliver was swept into a wave of people, all coming over to talk to him, the media wanting to take photos. The Quidditch win for Puddlemere was still fresh in most people's minds, all excited to relive the excitement through the man who had caused it.

Katie was left standing with Cormac again. "Wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked.

Cormac grumbled something unintelligible, sitting down in the chair with his nametag on it.

"He's still got a thing for you," he said after a moment, looking up at her. "That's obvious."

Katie shook her head, joining him at the table. "Don't be silly," she said. "We're just friends, that's all."

"Maybe for you, but for him…."

"Cormac!"

"It's true."

Katie glanced over to where Oliver was now standing with Harry and Ginny, the three of them deep in conversation. Seeing him there, looking very handsome, and quite well-built, sent a wave of regret through her for just one moment. She couldn't help but wonder what might have been different if they had worked out. Would it have been _them_ who were married and thinking about having a baby?

But then she looked to Cormac, who now had his head in his hands, and she realised that she loved him very much. Maybe a small part of her would always love Oliver, but Cormac was different… she was more in love with him, and that was what counted.

Oliver was her past, but Cormac was her present and her future, and she wouldn't have it any other way. She loved him dearly.

She laughed. "Come on!" she said, getting to her feet and dragging Cormac up with her. "Let's dance."

Cormac smiled at her, obliging to her request. He kissed her hand mockingly, bowing low. "Please," he said, "let the master show you how it's done."

Katie snorted. "Very well," she said. "But no tripping over my feet like you did at our wedding… _master_."

Cormac's smile widened as he dragged her onto the dance floor, and she threw her arms around his neck. He brought his lips to her cheek, and then to _her_ lips.

And, in that moment, Katie knew she had made the right decision. She was more than happy.

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_**This kind of just came out of nowhere, and I don't think I've really written any of these characters before, so that was a challenge in itself. For this, I had the theme of Quidditch, and had to write about a Quidditch player. Oliver, Katie and Cormac all sufficed :P**_

_**Also, speaking of Quidditch (and I'm pretty sure this fic inspired the idea) I have created a forum on here, dedicated to a very large competition. It's called the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, and will be on-going. Season 1 is open to many, many people right now, so please, feel free to join. The link is at the top of my profile. Also, tell everyone you can to join also. Trust me, there's heaps of spots open.**_

_**Anyway, I hope you all liked, and your reviews would be much appreciated.**_


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